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[Display omitted] • Hybrid thrust sequences form as the result of a transition from forward-breaking to break-back thrust sequences (or vice versa). • Hybrid thrust sequences are not necessarily associated with polyphase deformation. • Hybrid thrust sequences are mainly affected by the presence of detachments, surface processes, and critical-wedge effects. • Syn-kinematic strata, relationships between interacting thrusts, and variations in displacement-distance data are some of key criteria for identifying hybrid thrust sequences. • Hybrid thrust sequences are developed in the Zagros Simply Folded Belt, SW Iran. Thrust sequences show a range of geometric and kinematic characteristics in cross-sections and in map view. Two types of thrust sequences are commonly observed in thrust systems – forward-breaking and break-back thrust sequences. For nearly half a century, it has been hypothesized that forward-breaking and break-back thrust sequences represent end-members of a continuous spectrum of brittle and ductile structures. Many natural and experimental observations of transitional thrust sequences display both forward-breaking and break-back (hybrid) thrust sequences within the same thrust system. An explanation of hybrid thrust sequence development has neither been provided conceptually nor experimentally. We present geometric and kinematic results of natural observations and numerical experiments that show a transition from forward-breaking to break-back thrust sequences caused by the effects of stratigraphic variations, sedimentary environment, surface processes, critical-wedge effects, progressive deformation with an increase in compressive stress, presence of detachments and their frictional properties, and strain rate. We also discuss numerous geometric, kinematic, chronological and mechanical criteria to identify the characteristic signatures of hybrid thrust sequences. This study provides a template to distinguish different thrust sequences and to characterize the deformation conditions under which hybrid thrust sequences develop in contractional settings. Mechanical and field criteria, displacement patterns imaged on seismic reflection sections across onshore and offshore thrust systems, and the way that thrusts interact in terms of geometry, kinematics and strain, are used to illustrate thrust development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For progressively deforming multi-phase aggregates, it is unclear to what extent the change in geometry and orientation of the involved phases leads to textural strain weakening and thus may control strain localization. Consequently, the question arises how the ductile flow of multi-phase rocks can be described or determined. To contribute to the understanding of these knowledge gaps, two-dimensional numerical shear experiments of quartz-biotite aggregates were conducted at variable conditions. Textural variations after a shear strain of γ ≈ 10 appear to be dependent on the viscosity contrast between the minerals involved. To estimate whether a numerical experiment is undergoing strain weakening or hardening, the temporal evolution of the mean second invariant of the deviatoric stress tensor was tracked. The results suggest that strain weakening occurs if biotite is distinctly isolated in form of strong or weak inclusions and that it is more effective under conditions with larger viscosity contrasts between matrix and inclusions. However, observed stress drops in experiments purely based on textural strain weakening are low compared to other strain weakening processes. Numerical results from experiments with variable strain rate, temperature and biotite content were combined to determine two-phase flow law parameters for quartz-biotite aggregates, which are in broad agreement with existing analytical mixed-aggregate flow laws. • Numerical shear experiments are conducted for varying temperatures and strain rates. • Textural strain weakening is not restricted to weak inclusions in a strong matrix. • Textural rearrangement is of minor importance for strain weakening in shear zones. • The experiments are further used to determine two-phase flow law parameters. • Flow-law parameters are in broad agreement with flow laws based on existing mixing laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]